London Coliseum
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The plot was intricate and interesting, based off German dramatist Schiller's play 'Kabale und Liebe' (Intrigue and Love). Young Luisa, who comes from a humble background, has fallen hopelessly in love with the mysterious Carlo, a young man who only appeared when the new Count came into power. Luisa's father Miller doesn't trust Carlo, and his suspicions of his identity are proved to be well-founded when Wurm - the Count's right-hand man - reveals that 'Carlo' is in fact Rodolfo, the son of the Count. What follows is a riveting story of love, deception and manipulation, making for an opera with a plot that is both exciting and very easy to follow.
During the overture we see two children run on stage, open a gift to find a black marker, and then write the word 'Amore' on the white walls, an 'edgy' if not slightly cheesy way to tell us the main theme of the opera we are about to watch. This motif of drawing on the set played a large role in Barbora Horakova's production. At some points it created an extra dimension to the action on stage, such as when Luisa is forced by Wurm to write a letter denying her love for Rodolfo. The tension and difficulty that the 'wall-drawers' bring to this moment is invaluable, enhancing it greatly to make a memorable piece of art out of this particular section of the opera. However, at other times I really questioned what the point of these drawings were, other than to distract my attention from what was happening on stage and then leading me to miss out on a bit of the action. More often than not, the scribblings meant nothing and added nothing to the overall effectiveness of the opera as far as I could see.
Another striking element of this production was the role of the chorus, who looked like they had come straight out of 'The Day of The Dead' for the beginning part of the opera. They entered at the beginning in a large crowd with balloons in order to celebrate Luisa's birthday. I thought that their characterization was rather fun, and whilst I couldn't trace any meaning to it I did think that they brought a real life and energy onto the stage with them whenever they entered, and their unique costumes were a delight to see, adding a sort of metaphorical colour to the completely white set.
The music itself was exquisite and I think constitutes some of the best that I have heard at the ENO. It ranged from huge, broad melodies with full orchestral accompaniment, to unaccompanied duets, trios or quartets sung with precision by the cast. What was also so significant about this music was that it always served to add to the story, heightening and drawing out emotions, something that is not always the case. As a result of this, I felt like I was taken on a 'musical journey' and really experienced the power of music in its ability to create feelings in an audience.
The singers themselves were very talented as always, but particularly Soloman Howard as Wurm, whose rich voice perfectly portrayed the character's smooth and sly nature. I hope to hear more from him in the future.
As the opera came near the end I found it dragging on a little bit; the initial appeal of the abstract and naked set was beginning to wear off, and I was still not able to find any rhyme or reason to the drawings or the recurring appearances of the two children running around stage as a young version of Luisa and Rodolfo. That being said, the music was superb and the story was a very engaging one. I will be reading Schiller's original soon! I would recommend this opera, although not necessarily to complete first-timers who are a bit hesitant to enter the 'opera scene'.
Another striking element of this production was the role of the chorus, who looked like they had come straight out of 'The Day of The Dead' for the beginning part of the opera. They entered at the beginning in a large crowd with balloons in order to celebrate Luisa's birthday. I thought that their characterization was rather fun, and whilst I couldn't trace any meaning to it I did think that they brought a real life and energy onto the stage with them whenever they entered, and their unique costumes were a delight to see, adding a sort of metaphorical colour to the completely white set.
The music itself was exquisite and I think constitutes some of the best that I have heard at the ENO. It ranged from huge, broad melodies with full orchestral accompaniment, to unaccompanied duets, trios or quartets sung with precision by the cast. What was also so significant about this music was that it always served to add to the story, heightening and drawing out emotions, something that is not always the case. As a result of this, I felt like I was taken on a 'musical journey' and really experienced the power of music in its ability to create feelings in an audience.
The singers themselves were very talented as always, but particularly Soloman Howard as Wurm, whose rich voice perfectly portrayed the character's smooth and sly nature. I hope to hear more from him in the future.
As the opera came near the end I found it dragging on a little bit; the initial appeal of the abstract and naked set was beginning to wear off, and I was still not able to find any rhyme or reason to the drawings or the recurring appearances of the two children running around stage as a young version of Luisa and Rodolfo. That being said, the music was superb and the story was a very engaging one. I will be reading Schiller's original soon! I would recommend this opera, although not necessarily to complete first-timers who are a bit hesitant to enter the 'opera scene'.